The Story That Has Nothing To Do With Skates
by Mindful Cricket
Summary: [Hikaru no GoInuYasha] There's something dark coming closer. Something it's after. A miko like no else. Beware, young miko, Something wicked this way comes.


_**The Story That Has Nothing Whatsoever To Do With Skates**_

_Mindful Fearlessness  
Fatal Shadows_

_- - -_

_"Most people learn by observation and there are the few who learn by experimentation and then there are those who actually touch the fire to see if it's really hot."_

_- Anonymous_

_- - -_

"You've gotten better, Mr Kawai," Hikaru smiled at the cab driver as he placed his stone down. He turned to his left and placed another black stone down on a different board. "You have also, Mr Kurishuta."

"Thanks," Mr Kawai muttered. He placed a white stone down to start the ladder technique.

"I've been playing with Kaoru Shuutei every day," Mr Kurishuta smiled at the young boy. "It seems that you've gotten better since you were here last."

"The pro test does that to you," Hikaru placed another stone on Mr Shuutei's board before tuning back to Mr Kawai's. Playing in the top-right corner, he heard Mr Kurishuta speak.

"How are you doing in the pro test?"

"I'm doing pretty well," Hikaru told them. "I only lost three games out of the fifteen I've played so far."

Mr Kawai snorted.

"You still have seventeen to go," He told him. "Don't get too cocky like you are now."

Mr Kawai captured six stones and took them off the board.

"Ah, a good move, Mr Kawai," Mr Shuutei spoke sagely. "If only you had the technique to back it up…"

"Coming from the man who's losing by eight points," Kawai retorted. Mr Shuutei's eyes widened as he looked down at his board.

"Really?" He placed a white stone in the middle-left of the board, next to other white ones, forming a small bit of territory. "Damn…"

He was hit on the head by the receptionist who was walking by.

"Don't use such language in front of the boy!"

Mr Shuutei rubbed his abused head absently as he looked down at the move Hikaru had just played. The boy was now placing a stone down on Mr Kurishuta's board. Mr Shuutei put a white stone in the top-left to start a new territory. Mr Kawai set his stone down surrounding one of Hikaru's black stones. Hikaru laid a black stone down and Mr Kawai's frown deepened.

"You do know you're supposed to tie all three of us, right?" He asked the middle school student. He looked up at him.

"Yes," Hikaru was a bit clueless.

"Then why'd you move there?"

He pointed to Hikaru's stone. Mr Shuutei and Mr Kurishuta looked over is shoulder. Mr Kurishuta 'tsk'ed.

"Damn," Mr Shuutei cursed. A Go bowl cover hit him in the back. "Hey!" He turned around to face the angry receptionist. "Why do you keep hitting me?!"

"You keep using vile language in front of children!" She huffed and stomped back behind the counter. A few of the stones shook as she walked. Hikaru snickered.

"Earthquake," He mumbled loud enough for the three men around him to hear. Hikaru didn't have time to duck as a clipboard hit him in the face. "Ow!"

"Serves you right," The woman huffed once more and she disappeared through the door adjacent to the parlor room where the games were played. Mr Kawai snickered at the boy as he set the clipboard down next to the boards.

"You shouldn't provoke the woman, Hikaru," Mr Shuutei reprimanded.

"So says the-"

"Shut it and play," Kawai placed a stone on his board. His move was immediately followed by Hikaru's.

_T-S-T-H-N-W-T-D-W-S_

"Where is it?" Kagome asked herself. The crowds of Tokyo seemed larger than normal as she finally declared herself lost. Kagome tapped someone on the shoulder. He turned to look at her. He had medium length black hair that and kind brown eyes.

"Excuse me," Kagome started politely. "But I'm a bit lost. Could you please tell me where the Zuriko Go Salon is?"

He smiled. "Yes. I'm headed there myself. Let me walk you."

"Thanks," Kagome smiled up at him. "I'm Kagome Higurashi."

"Isumi Shinichiro," He replied. "It's nice to meet you."

"Same,"

They walked in silence for a few minutes as they made there way closer to their destination. Isumi broke the silence.

_T-S-T-H-N-W-T-D-W-S_

Isumi looked down at the girl walking next to him. _Why would she, of all places, want to go to a Go salon?_ Isumi's voice cut through their silence.

"You don't look like a Go player," He stated. Kagome looked up at him. "So why are you going to a salon?"

"I like Go," She said. "One of my friends taught me how to play a while ago and I've been playing ever since…"

"Oh," Isumi looked slightly startled. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Kagome smiled up at him once more. "A lot of people don't think I look like the type to play Go. The secret is," She lowered her voice and Isumi found himself leaning closer to hear her next words. "I'm really into kendo and martial arts."

"Really?" He couldn't believe that a petite girl like her could ever do any of those sports. Apparently, his face showed it.

"I know, I don't look like it, either," Kagome looked at all the big buildings. "But it's really fun."

"Ah," Isumi was about to say something else when he saw Zuriko Go Salon up ahead. "We're almost there. It's up ahead."

He pointed to a rather large building to the left situated right off the sidewalk they were on. They seemed to speed up as they neared the building. The two walked through the glass doors and were assaulted by a loud shout.

"Stop hitting me!!"

The two turned and saw a man with black hair and glasses holding a cigarette hit a boy. The boy had blonde and dark brown hair and looked like he was playing simultaneous games with three men, two of them old in years.

"You deserved it, pipsqueak," The black haired man puffed his cigarette and sat back in his chair. A pen flew through the air and hit him square between the eyes. The multicolored hair boy snickered. "What was that for?!"

"Don't hit children!!" Kagome jumped at the bellow that came from next to her. She and Isumi looked the opposite way from the four and saw a quite large woman wave another pen threateningly. "You should know better than that, Kawai!"

"He was bragging on tying to games," The man huffed. "He was two points off on mine. That's nothing to brag about! He was supposed to tie all three!"

The woman ignored the man, Kawai, and turned towards them.

"Hello," She smiled. "Are you here to play? It costs five hundred yen."

Kagome dug through her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She handed it to the woman. Isumi did the same.

"Thank you,"

"This place is big," Kagome looked around the Go salon.

"You get used to it," Isumi reassured her.

"Thank you for showing me where it was," Kagome bowed to him.

"You're welcome," Isumi nodded his head and Kagome walked towards the back of the salon. Shinichiro walked over to the still arguing Hikaru Shindo and Mr Kawai.

"You need to control your temper," He broke their fight with his few words.

_T-S-T-H-N-W-T-D-W-S_

Hikaru looked up at the person that interrupted his argument.

"Isumi!" He exclaimed. "Why're you here?"

"I always come here on Wednesdays," Isumi explained. "Why are you here, Shindo? I thought you were at Waya's study group…"

"That's today?!" Hikaru yelled. "I completely forgot!!"

Hikaru stood up from his chair and ran out the glass doors leaving the people in the salon to stare after.

"Dumb kid," Mr Kawai muttered as he cleared the stones off the Go board. "Can't even remember something as simple as that…"

No one listened to Kawai as Mr Shuutei and Mr Kurishuta turned towards the insei.

"Do you want to play us?" Mr Shuutei asked.

"Okay," Isumi took a seat across from the old men. They chose for color and the games began.

_T-S-T-H-N-W-T-D-W-S_

Kagome walked over to a table and sat down. She looked around at all the old men playing Go. Soft chatter resounded throughout the room in murmurs. Kagome sighed lightly and smiled when one of the men looked over at her. He smiled back and returned to his game. She turned her eyes away from all the games going on and picked up her messenger bag. The girl opened it and took out a small pad of paper. She sifted through her bag once more and pulled out a pencil. Then, Kagome started to write.

_Thought he never knew the troubles he brewed,  
His enemies stood, their angers stewed,  
They marched onto his estate in packs,  
He slept unaware that his security lacks,  
They crept in shadows and hid-_

"Hello there, dearie," Kagome jumped and looked around. An old man stood next to her. "Would you mind playing a game with this old man?"

Kagome smiled at him. "Of course! I would love to." She put away her notebook and pencil before looking at the old man now sitting across from her. The two chose for color and before they could start, he said something.

"I should warn you now, dearie," He stated and smiled. "I'm not very good at Go."

"Neither am I," Kagome picked up a white stone from her bowl. "Let's just play our best!"

"Yes," The old man smiled. "We shall, dearie."

Their game began. The old man went first and Kagome soon followed with a move to the top-right corner. The old man quickly placed a black stone near hers. Kagome countered with a stone connected to hers forming the beginnings of a ladder.

_T-S-T-H-N-W-T-D-W-S_

"That's right, little girl," A sickening laugh cut through the air. A shadow of a figure seemed to move towards the edge of the building roof and stared down through the crowds to the windows. An old man was sitting on the other side of the window playing a board game with a young girl in her early teens. "Play your little games. Tomorrow, you're going to be in a world of pain…"

The silhouette disappeared taking his disturbing aura with him.

_T-S-T-H-N-W-T-D-W-S_

Kagome shivered.

"Are you alright, dearie?"

"Yes, I am," She looked out the window. For a split second, she thought she saw something on the roof of a nearby building across the large street. She noticed the man's concerned eyes and smiled at him again. "Thank you for asking."

"Such a polite young girl," The old man sighed. "How I wish my granddaughter was like you. You're such a sweet girl with polite manners and a smart mind, at that."

Kagome blushed a light pink. "Thank you."

"Oh!" The man's eyes widened as he looked at the board. "It looks like our game has ended. Time flies by when you're having fun…"

"True," Kagome nodded her head. The two didn't say anything as they moved their stones into squares to count their territories. "I have fifty-six points."

"Fifty-eight," The old man smiled toothily at her. "You're very good. I hope to play you again."

"Same here," Kagome stood and bowed to him. "Goodbye!" She walked away from him. Kagome slowed a few feet away as she thought about that weird aura she had felt earlier. She pushed it to the back of her mind as she neared the entrance to the street. Suddenly, Kagome was knocked over.


End file.
